Submersible pump with guide means

ABSTRACT

A submersible pump with guide means wherein guide elements include a guide sleeve provided with an aligning gap which during lowering of the pump assembly slides upon an aligning rail connected to the foot of the delivery conduit of the pump.

Unlted States Patent 11 1 1111 3,861,834 Blum 1 1 Jan. 21, 1975 15 1 SUBMERSIBLE PUMP WITH GUIDE MEANS 3,635,606 1/1972 Blum 417/360 [76] Inventor: Albert Blum, Scheiderhoehe, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS LOhmar Germany 246,575 4/1966 Austria 417/360 2 Filed; 30 1971 2,014,270 12/1970 Germany 417/360 [21] A l N 203 304 1,187,931 2/1965 Germany 417/360 Primary ExaminerCarlton R. Croyle [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Assistant Examiner-Richard S her Nov. 30, 1970 Germany 2058736 Attorney Firm-'Lmng segel [52] US. Cl. 417/360 57 ABSTRACT {51] Int. Cl. F04b 39/00 h [58] Field Of Search 417/360, 361; 415/201 A submerlble Pump "F means 1 e elements mclude a gu1de sleeve pr0v1ded w1th an [561 3531131532335: 21 iii/3111i? 611111155 "25 Si; 3 656 87 f PATENTS 417/36] foot of the delivery conduit of the pump.

, ar sson I 3,234,885 2/1966 Englesson 417/360 3,018,925 1/1962 Englesson 417/360 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 3,427,982 2/1969 Englesson 1. 417/360 WENIE m2 1 I975 SHEET 20? 2 l SUBMERSIBLE PUMP WITH GUIDE MEANS This invention is an improvement in or modification of the invention disclosed in my related copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 150,965, filed June 8, 1971 which relates to an arrangement of the kind comprising guide means and a submersible electric motor-pump assembly which is lowerable into a tank and which comprises an electric drive motor and a pump connected therewith and which has guide elements guided on the said guide means for bringing a pressure discharge pipe of the pump opposite to an inlet aperture of a connecting pipe of a delivery pipe when the assembly is in the lowered position.

According to the invention disclosed in such Patent application Ser. No. 150,965, there is provided an arrangement of the kind defined herein, characterised in that the guide means include aligning devices which when the assembly is being lowered and is at a distance from the lower end position come in engagement and align the motonpump assembly so as to avoid fouling during its further lowering Thus, on a guide tube there may be provided for example, as an aligning element, an aligning pin or an aligning rib or rail or the like extending parallel to the tube axis, over which there slides a recess on the inner circumference of a guide element in the form of a sleeve which in development has a funnel or double funnel shape and widens from an inlet aperture for the aligning pin or rib downwardly or upwardly respectively to one half the circumference of the sleeve. Naturally, in kinematic reversal, there may also be provided an aligning sleeve with a funnel-shaped upwardlywidening recess at a suitable distance from the lower end position at the outer circumference of the guide tube, and an aligning pin or rail at the inner circumference of the guide sleeve. Naturally, also upwardly a suitable inlet funnel may be provided in either of these instances.

This form of embodiment is comparatively expensive and is also basially unsatisfactory because it entails the requirement that the manual laborer erecting the installation shall exercise more than a good expert knowledge, which nowadays is not always available. Therefore the invention is intended to provide a modification of the previously proposed arrangement which permits an intensive prefabrication in a factory and allows erection by uninstructed persons or those only briefly instructed without difficulties arising therefrom.

For this purpose the present invention provides an arrangement of the kind defined herein, further characterised in that said guide elements include a guide sleeve provided with an aligning gap which during lowering of the pump assembly slides upon an aligning rail connected to the foot of the delivery conduit. Preferably the aligning gap of the guide sleeve widens downwardly in a conical or funnel-shape or other similar form in order to ensure the sliding of the aligning gap on the aligning rail even if the positioning of the parts relative to each other deviates widely from the requisite position. it is important that the aligning rail does not need to be mounted on the guide tube which is usually acquired only at the place of installation, but on the contrary the aligning rail can previously be secured in the factory to the foot of the delivery conduit or can be arranged there for the connection. Also at its lower end the aligning rail can widen conically and be connected with a. fastening block which serves as an abutment for limiting the downward motion of the guide sleeve.

The invention permits manifold possibilities of embodiment. The scope of the monopoly sought is defined in the Claims hereinafter and how the invention may be put into practice is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which by way of example one form of embodiment is illustrated in views showing the parts important for comprehension of the invention, and therein:

FIG. 1 shows in vertical section the connection foot of a pump assembly with the adjacent parts of the delivery conduit and guide means and pump, and

FIG. 2 shows a view from the side of the pipe bend of the delivery conduit with the pipe bend removed.

In the example illustrated in the drawings there is progression from a form of embodiment in which fastened on the bottom of a container and carried by a foot 11 is a connection plate 12 to which from the one side on the inlet pipe bend 13 of the upwardly leading delivery conduit (not shown) is secured by means of flanges, while against the other side there presses tightly the delivery outlet piece 14 of the pump with a complementary intermediate adaptor 15. This intermediate adaptor 15 carries at its upper end as a guide element for the pump a guide sleeve 16 which substantially annularly engages around a guide tube 17 with circular cross-section serving for the guiding of the pump assembly.

With its lower end this guide tube 17 is guided over a retaining boss 18 carried by the connection plate 12 and can be secured thereon by means of a fastening pin (not shown). To the support 19 carrying the retaining boss 18 for the guide tube 17 with the connection plate 12 there is further fastened by means of a fastening block 20 an upwardly directed aligning rail 21. The fastening block 20 at the same time serves as an abutment for the guide sleeve 16 and limits the downward motion of the pump, which upon engagement of the guide sleeve 12 against the fastening block 20 lies under the influence of its own weight with the intermediate adaptor 15 against the connection plate 12, so that through this connection plate there is produced the tight connection between the pump delivery outlet piece 14 and the delivery conduit pipe bend 13 in a suitable position.

Prior to this the guide sleeve 16 has slid with its aligning gap 161 upon the aligning rail 21 in order to bring the pump delivery outlet piece 14 and the delivery conduit pipe bend 13 together in an upright position before the pump delivery outlet piece 14 and the connection plate 12 have neared each other to such an extent that they abut against one another. In order to facilitate the.

sliding of the gap 161 on to the rail 21 the gap widens downwardly in the manner illustrated in the drawing or even to a greater extent so that in every instance it is ensured that the gap 161 slides with certainty on the rail 21. By this means it is achieved that the aligning rail 21 does not need to be mounted for the first time at the site of installation of the pump upon the guide tube acquired there, from which difficulties can easily arise, but if it is not provided already mounted still needs only to be screwed to the connection plate at the installation site, everything being already previously prepared for the fastening by screws.

What I claim is:

1. A submersible electric motor-pump assembly having a drive motor and a pump connected therewith,

which is lowerable into a body of fluid with the outlet of said pump being guided into engagement with a discharge pipe, comprising: a guide element adapted to be cooperatively associated with the discharge pipe, a guide sleeve having a downwardly tapered aligning gap secured to said motor-pump assembly, an alignment rail adapted to be cooperatively associated with and extend from said discharge pipe, and said guide sleeve being in sliding engagement with said guide element and said aligning gap of said guide sleeve being engageable with said alignment rail to ensure positioning of said motor-pump assembly in alignment with said discharge pipe as said assembly is lowered. in position.

2. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate connection plate is disposed between said pump outlet and said discharge pipe.

3. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 2, including a retaining means forming a part of said connection plate, and said alignment rail extending from said connection plate.

4. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment rail is removably connectable to said discharge pipe.

5. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment rail flares outwardly at its end extending from said discharge pipe.

6. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein said alignment rail is removably connectable to said intermediate connection plate, and said connection plate forms an abutment member for limiting the downward movement of said guide sleeve. 

1. A submersible electric motor-pump assembly having a drive motor and a pump connected therewith, which is lowerable into a body of fluid with the outlet of said pump being guided into engagement with a discharge pipe, comprising: a guide element adapted to be cooperatively associated with the discharge pipe, a guide sleeve having a downwardly tapered aligning gap secured to said motor-pump assembly, an alignment rail adapted to be cooperatively associated with and extend from said discharge pipe, and said guide sleeve being in sliding engagement with said guide element and said aligning gap of said guide sleeve being engageable with said alignment rail to ensure positioning of said motor-pump assembly in alignment with said discharge pipe as said assembly is lowered in position.
 2. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate connection plate is disposed between said pump outlet and said discharge pipe.
 3. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 2, including a retaining means forming a part of said connection plate, and said alignment rail extending from said connection plate.
 4. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment rail is removably connectable to said discharge pipe.
 5. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment rail flares outwardly at its end extending from said discharge pipe.
 6. The submersible electric motor-pump assembly according to claim 2, wherein said alignment rail is removably connectable to said intermediate connection plate, and said connection plate forms an abutment member for limiting the downward movement of said guide sleeve. 